STEE sole bidder for Platform Screen Door Contract of Chennai Metro Line 3, 5

Chennai, India (Metro Rail Today): Singapore's renowned ST Engineering Electronics Ltd. has once again emerged as the sole bidder for the crucial Platform Screen Door contract (Package ASA12A) of Chennai Metro Line 3 & 5. The technical bids were unveiled by Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) recently. These ongoing developments are integral to the 116.1 km Chennai Metro Phase 2 project, encompassing Madhavaram - SIPCOT (Line-3) and Madhavaram - Sholinganallur (Line-5) corridors. With a combination of elevated and underground stations, these lines will enhance connectivity in a north-south direction.

The installation of half-height Platform Screen Doors (PSDs) at elevated stations is a significant step towards passenger safety. The primary objectives are to curb accidents and prevent unfortunate incidents during passenger movement, including suicides. The scope of this contract encompasses Line-3's 10 elevated stations from Sholinganallur Lake to SIPCOT 2, as awarded to RVNL in January 2023, as well as Line-5's 29 elevated stations between Grain Market and Elcot, currently under construction by HCC - KEC JV and Larsen & Toubro.

The journey of this contract has seen several phases. CMRL initially invited tenders in October 2022 with an undisclosed estimate and a 1965-day deadline. Technical bids were unveiled in February 2023, revealing ST as the sole bidder. However, the tender was subsequently canceled in May 2023. Following this, bids were re-invited in June with an 800-day deadline.

The extensive scope of the contract encompasses the design, manufacture, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of Platform Screen Doors for Corridor 3 (Sholinganallur Lake to SIPCOT 2) and Corridor 5 (Grain Market to Elcot) within CMRL Phase II.

As CMRL navigates these crucial decisions, they are faced with a choice between two courses of action. They must determine whether to (1) cancel the tender in hopes of attracting more bidders in the next round, or (2) proceed with evaluating ST's technical bid and consider opening the financial bid pending the alignment of technical aspects. The outcome of this deliberation will significantly shape the trajectory of this transformative metro project.

For more details, please explore the Chennai Metro page of Metro Rail Today.